Donny's Refit Enterprise Interiors (Version 2.0)
- Thread starter Donny
- Start date
Hahaha. Maybe it’s more that I just don’t feel as competent with this kind of modeling.
And so it begins...
I spent most of the day trying to figure out what I wanted to do next. I've been itching to get to the cargo bay/hangar/flight deck complex for YEARS...but it's such a large environment that also requires many complex props to be complete and that has intimidated the hell out of me. Not just the complexity, but the sheer time it will take to complete (let's not forget that only with fully-fledged shuttles, workbees, and travel pods will this environment be complete). I've been waiting to save up energy to feel like I could take on such a time-intensive area, but then it occurred to me today that I don't have to see the entire complex through to completion in one go, but I can break it into smaller parts.
My plan is to start with the cargo bay, see that through to completion, take a break and work on other areas of the ships, then come back again to tackle the flight deck and hangar, take another break, then come around and work on the auxiliary craft. Or something along those lines.
I started tonight getting the modular cargo storage walls blocked out, because they're really the key to figuring out the dimensions of this massive complex. But how to figure out those dimensions? Luckily, in the Phase II: The Lost Series book, we get a schematic of Admiral Nogura's office, which looks rather familiar:
Indeed, the live action set of the cargo bay was constructed out of walls that were constructed but ultimately un-used for Nogura's office for Phase II. This schematic gave me all I needed to know to figure out the rest of the dimensions of the bay.
The burning question on everyone's mind is whether I'll model the screen-accurate plainer version we see in TMP, or the more detailed, busier Andy Probert matte concept? Hands down, I'll be bringing the Probert version to life.
For those unaware, here's a comparison.
Screen accurate:
Andy Probert Matte Concept:
EDIT: I should note that I just did some tests with my full-sized Refit model and this cargo bay geometry I've blocked out, and I've found that this cargo complex does not fit inside the Enterprise hull, at least not without scaling the Enterprise up a fair bit, and that isn't feasible. The cargo handling floor itself fits, but the cargo pods lining the walls would be sticking out into space and that corridor on the starboard side would as well. I won't compromise the size of the cargo bay either, so it looks like I'll be resorting to giving the illusion it fits rather than actually making it fit.
Stay tuned for more!
I spent most of the day trying to figure out what I wanted to do next. I've been itching to get to the cargo bay/hangar/flight deck complex for YEARS...but it's such a large environment that also requires many complex props to be complete and that has intimidated the hell out of me. Not just the complexity, but the sheer time it will take to complete (let's not forget that only with fully-fledged shuttles, workbees, and travel pods will this environment be complete). I've been waiting to save up energy to feel like I could take on such a time-intensive area, but then it occurred to me today that I don't have to see the entire complex through to completion in one go, but I can break it into smaller parts.
My plan is to start with the cargo bay, see that through to completion, take a break and work on other areas of the ships, then come back again to tackle the flight deck and hangar, take another break, then come around and work on the auxiliary craft. Or something along those lines.
I started tonight getting the modular cargo storage walls blocked out, because they're really the key to figuring out the dimensions of this massive complex. But how to figure out those dimensions? Luckily, in the Phase II: The Lost Series book, we get a schematic of Admiral Nogura's office, which looks rather familiar:
Indeed, the live action set of the cargo bay was constructed out of walls that were constructed but ultimately un-used for Nogura's office for Phase II. This schematic gave me all I needed to know to figure out the rest of the dimensions of the bay.
The burning question on everyone's mind is whether I'll model the screen-accurate plainer version we see in TMP, or the more detailed, busier Andy Probert matte concept? Hands down, I'll be bringing the Probert version to life.
For those unaware, here's a comparison.
Screen accurate:
Andy Probert Matte Concept:
EDIT: I should note that I just did some tests with my full-sized Refit model and this cargo bay geometry I've blocked out, and I've found that this cargo complex does not fit inside the Enterprise hull, at least not without scaling the Enterprise up a fair bit, and that isn't feasible. The cargo handling floor itself fits, but the cargo pods lining the walls would be sticking out into space and that corridor on the starboard side would as well. I won't compromise the size of the cargo bay either, so it looks like I'll be resorting to giving the illusion it fits rather than actually making it fit.
Stay tuned for more!
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interesting to see what you come up with 
YES! YES YES YES YES YES! (YES!) My favorite set! For some reason this very brief scene did more to sell the scale and the reality of the Enterprise to me than just about anything else in TMP.
I'm not going crazy with the overlays or anything, but is there any difference to the actual structure between on-screen and Probert's? It's just the addition of other craft, right?
And: Are you doing a TWOK version? Not that I really know what would be different, other than more fire extinguishers...
I'm not going crazy with the overlays or anything, but is there any difference to the actual structure between on-screen and Probert's? It's just the addition of other craft, right?
And: Are you doing a TWOK version? Not that I really know what would be different, other than more fire extinguishers...
...and random winky, blinky boxes from that Hollywood prop house that rented to nearly every sci-fi production during the 80s.
Perhaps the wall units are just very shallow units meant for certain kinds of cargo, such as medical and scientific supplies. They could be transported using the work bee carriers as shown but instead of one standard unit, there are a larger number of more shallow units.
As an aside, I find it odd that the storage unit design requires that they be rotated 90 degrees to fit into the wall slots but as you said, the walls were reused from the Nogura office set that was never used so function followed form in this case.
Color pallete, lighting, extra craft, slightly different details.
Even shrinking the cargo pods, there are visual hints that the corridors go back behind the cargo pods on either side.
Not that I can tell. The broad strokes are the same, just more detailed, busier, and colorful in the Probert version
I haven't decided yet what I'd change for a TWOK version. Fire extinguishers yes, but I can't see changing much else. Adding extra computer banks just doesn't seem to fit for a cargo facility. Perhaps a color scheme change, but I dunno. I'd have to experiment later in the process. You all know I'll keep you updated with the progress
Yes, @ashefivekay is correct. Unless my Enterprise model's engineering hull is sized inaccurately (I don't believe that's the case), the outer hull walls don't even allow space for smaller cargo pods. The outer hull is almost right up against the inner walls of the cargo bay. I should check with @blssdwlf and see if he ran into similar issues with his tests. Other third-party renditions of the cargo bay I've found online looks as if parts of the set were rescaled to make it fit, but I'm not willing to do that. I want the dimensions of the set to fit what we see in both TMP and Andy's concept. Plus, changing the dimensions of the cargo pods to make for a thinner set would also mean changing the proportions of the workbees, or changing the exterior model would mean the docking ports would now be out of proportion. I think we all have to accept that the Enterprise herself is a wee bit smaller than its on-screen interiors allow, as sad as that is.
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That was meant for the ISS Enterprise.Woah! I just noticed there is a little corridor on the side of the cargo bay that leads.... to space??
BLASPHEMY!!!
If I were to speculate, perhaps those outer cargo pods aren't really pods at all, but temporary mounting points for incoming cargo pods. I would imagine a loadmaster would appreciate a place to mount a pod whilst dealing with other loading tasks, before they get around to lowering and stowing the pods down below. One could rationalize that the reason why these hypothetical mounting points look like cargo pods (despite the lack of space) is that they need to have hardware that matches the cargo pods in order to have them attach, much like how the ISS berthing ports look alike in real life.
Are you calling Robert Wise and Andrew Probert blasphemers?BLASPHEMY!!!
I suspect they were designed to look like the same cargo containers, but the interiors of those things in TWOK seemed considerably bigger than how they looked on the outside in TMP. I could be wrong, but it feels like there is some dimensional transcendentalism going on there, TARDIS style. 
